Closing 2008

Writing this as there are about 5 hours left of this year. Just returned from a birthday visit 45 miles away. Weather started very cold this morning, with -9C at 9 am. Mercury rose to just below freezing, but at the moment we're way down again at -6C. It'll fall much lower, unless we get the fog that is currently forming over the west of the country. When you look out to the southwest this evening in the clear sky, you can see the moon and planet Venus apparently very close together. In real terms they are of course millions of miles apart.

This was taken just after 6pm local time.

Fireworks are already being let off around the country (it is legal to do so from 10 am this morning until 2 am on New Year's morning), and some €65 million will go up in smoke tonight.

I hope all will see in the New Year 2009 with high spirits, with new hopes for the new year. If you drink, please do so sensibly. If you let off fireworks, take the usual precautions. Unless something crops up, this will be the final post on the Shell Gallery for 2008. I'll keep posting in the New Year, until I return to Stornoway next Monday.

Happy New Year